Chapter 09 Chapter 9

Two weeks later, it was October.

Suli finally returned from the sea.

There is a bay about 100 kilometers away from Xiaoba Village. It is the border between the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea and is rich in Spanish mackerel and oysters.

Suli came back with a lot of half-dead mackerels and a sack of red conches and oysters.

These days, Su Rui first hung up the Spanish mackerel to dry in the sun, and then took the time to dig out the meat of red conchs and oysters, slicing some and drying some in the sun.

For a moment, the small yard was filled with a fishy smell.

It's not just her family, one-third of the families in Xiaoba Village are like this.

In November, we start to store winter vegetables. These seafood, together with potatoes, cabbage and various dried and pickled vegetables, will become the monotonous diet during the long winter.

Su Li worked hard for three months and paid all the money he earned to Su Yuqin. Su Yuqin did a good job on the surface, calling the three girls to her side and giving each of them two yuan in front of Su Li.

Su Rui returned to the west room, which was still filled with the fresh scent of a bath.

After a hard day's work, I was still happy to get two yuan for free.

Su Rui took the key from her neck and opened the drawer. Inside was an iron box containing thirteen quarters.

Yes, she was poor and open about it. She was planning to save it for marrying a husband.

I have been writing to Ye Chifang quite often recently. Gradually, we have been writing less pretentious things and talking more about the local customs and characteristics. It seems to be going well.

It was just that the other party seemed to have a lot of questions. Sometimes he asked her about Xiaoba Village, sometimes about the customs of Suhua Township, and sometimes even asked a few words in the dialect.

Su Rui asked him back, but he answered vaguely, which was quite puzzling.

Su Rui was impatient, and it was good that she could pretend to be with the snake these days. She decided to write a letter tonight to ask him what he was doing. If he still didn't explain clearly, she would simply break up with him.

Anyway, her father is back, and it’s a bit suspenseful for her to fight against Wu Lunzi alone. How can she and her father be afraid of Wu Lunzi?

Just as I was thinking about it, I heard Su Li coughing outside the house, and then I heard him shouting, "Old Three, are you asleep?"

How can I sleep at half past six? My elder sister hasn't come back yet.

She closed the drawer and opened the door, and Su Li's dark face appeared in front of her, revealing a tired and honest smile.

Then he quickly threw the two yuan rolled up in his hand on Su Rui's table, coughed twice and said, "Since you're lying down, I won't go in." Then he left.

Su Rui watched her father leave and sighed. It was really sad that a son-in-law wanted to love his burden.

She knew that this was the gift her father prepared for her as a dowry for her to marry.

She put the money together and counted it again and again. Every bill had her name on it.

After learning about her great ambition, his father agreed wholeheartedly, as if he had met a comrade-in-arms on the common front in the future.

When father and daughter are of one mind, they can cut through metal.

Su Rui became more determined to find a good man who was as virtuous and kind as her father. In addition, his father had no family, so he was a role model for future sons-in-law.

Su Rui locked the drawer and lay on the bed, thinking about what kind of live-in son-in-law she could find with the current 17.40 yuan.

The world is the same everywhere: it's hard to make money and it's hard to get married.

Su Rui fell asleep in a daze, and didn't notice Su Hongpei quietly entered the room with red eyes. She tucked Su Rui in, wiped her tears and went to sleep just like when she was a child.

The next day, Xiaoba Village began to mobilize to pick fruits. Everyone was divided into two groups, a large group went to Peach Mountain, and a small group went to Orange Mountain.

The mule cart carrying goods was already grazing at the educated youth's site. A group of young people who had just arrived in the countryside and didn't know much about grains and other foods were surrounding the mules and looking at them in wonder.

When Su Rui saw the mule for the first time, she excitedly circled around it for several times. This mule is the offspring of a colt and a donkey, and is said to be infertile and has reproductive isolation. She didn't take a closer look, and was chased away by the more curious mule for two miles.

Because of this incident, Su Chang'e made fun of him for a whole year.

At this moment, Su Rui completely forgot her behavior two years ago, and looked down upon their surprise with a water bottle on her shoulder. She grabbed a handful of hay and fed it to the mule. After the mule finished eating, Su Rui took the reins and led it down the mountain to wait for the peach.

Yes, Xiaoba Village was once famous for producing beauties, and the peaches were also called beauty peaches. It means beautiful, juicy and sweet!

After the flood, the township government took care of the three villages and allocated land behind each village to them for growing cash crops to supplement their broken families.

The women didn't know what cash crops were. They only knew that the peaches grown from the native land were sweet and juicy. They had no money, but they had plenty of strength.

The people of Qingnan Village laughed at them for being delusional. What could they grow on a rocky mountain? They just stood there and waited to see them laugh at them.

The women could not laugh. They shed tears and sweat. They could not afford to buy peach trees, so they bought cheap peach seedlings and planted them themselves. They worked hard to plant 4,000 cheap seedlings on the mountain.

The mountains were barren, and they spent two years cleaning up the barren mountains, five years caring for the peach trees, and another two years waiting for the fruits to come. The young beauties became widows, and the widows became middle-aged women.

This year the fruits finally ripened, and we counted 3,600 peach trees alive. The peach trees all over the mountain were as numerous and sacred as the 3,600 peach trees in Sun Wukong's Peach Garden.

Young boys were nimble and picked peaches from the trees. Strong women carried full baskets down the mountain. Elderly people brought their children to weave hemp baskets to hold peaches. As always, the people of Xiaoba Village twisted hemp ropes and used them together. Although it was tiring this time, everyone had a smile on their face.

Time and hard work wiped away their tears, added frost and wrinkles, and also gave them the calmness and tenacity to face life, and finally they were richly rewarded.

Sister Zhao gently persuaded the people from Qingnan Village who volunteered to help to leave. She kept her own Taoshan business strictly under control.

When she saw Su Rui coming, she carefully instructed her to deliver peaches to the county town, and then the women asked her to do other things.

Su Rui and other deliverymen drive mule trucks, and her delivery partners are Sha Si'er and Wan Zi.

Although Silly Si'er is silly, she is obedient. Su Rui uses her as a bodyguard.

If you meet someone on the road who wants to steal peaches, you have to bite and grab them, and then yell: "You steal the peaches of a fool, you shameless bastard! Give me back the peaches!" When other people on the road hear this, they will point at the peach thief and make him cover his face and run away.

Maru is a little girl, but she is very smart. Not only can she help Su Rui keep accounts, but she can also read the scale.

When encountering someone who was secretly losing weight, Su Rui would sit on the ground, kick her legs and yell without saying anything: "You cheated children of their money, you shameless bastard! Give me back my money!" When other people heard this, they would also point fingers at them and make them feel ashamed.

With such a strong supporter, Su Rui drove her moped calmly towards the county town.

The county town was only ten miles away, and the Industrial, Agricultural and Commercial Building, the People's Building, and the supply and marketing cooperative opposite the Women's Health Hospital were all her delivery windows.

She could make four or five trips a day, and she and her friends would eat peaches when they were hungry or thirsty. Their faces were itchy from the peach hairs, and the three of them would sit in a mule cart and walk around the street, scratching their ears and rubbing their cheeks, just like monkeys in the Peach Garden.

The three monkey cubs couldn't stand delivering peaches to the beautiful lady anymore after a few days, so they applied to deliver oranges to the next hill.

After another three or four days, the three little girls with pale faces came back dejectedly to give away peaches. After all, peaches feed people, and if they keep eating oranges, they will all become minions.

Su Rui and the mule team had been delivering goods for half a month in a row, and the peaches were almost sold out. Sister Zhao said that there were still some crooked and cracked dates on the trees. Although they could not be sold, they still tasted the same and could be picked and eaten by themselves.

There is only one, which cannot be sold externally.

Su Rui has eaten enough peaches these days, so she discussed with Su Hongpei and decided to pick some and make canned peaches to eat slowly during the winter.

Su Hongpei handed the basket to Su Rui: "You carry 500 kilograms, and I carry 500 kilograms."

Su Rui stumbled and said in astonishment, "Five, five hundred kilograms?"

Su Hong tied a red ribbon on her head, and after she finished shouting slogans with the others, she turned around and asked, "Did you finish it?"

Su Rui closed her eyes and said, "Only 500 kilograms."

Su Hongpei was satisfied: "Well done, this is the woman of Xiaoba Village!"

Su Rui: ...

At the end of the day, Su Rui felt like she was soaked in the scent of peach.

Sister Zhao was worried that the night would be long and she would have many troubles, so after receiving the money, she distributed the money to every household in the office.

Su Yuqin is the head of the family, and she holds the family's money tightly. But Su Rui is no longer the cowardly Su Rui of the past, she is the Su Rui who wants to marry a husband.

She squatted on the cement platform outside the office, staring at Su Yuqin with a dim look in her eyes.

Su Yuqin received 113 yuan in peach subsidies, which were distributed to each household based on the number of people. Each person received 23 yuan, and each household paid 2 yuan to buy fertilizer for the peach trees.

Su Yuqin was still laughing when she saw the debt collector reaching out to her. Su Yuqin didn't want to give it to her, but last year Su Rui shamelessly brought the money issue to Sister Zhao, who said that Su Rui had the right to take her own wages after she became an adult.

Last year, Su Rui was underage, and Su Yuqin took advantage of her, so she was so angry that she didn't eat for several days. This year is different. Su Rui, who is an adult, opened an account at the Farmers' Credit Union in advance, and is just waiting for the work points to be calculated at the end of the year to deposit it together with the dividends.

"You eat and live at home, why do you need money?" Su Yuqin couldn't argue with Su Rui in front of the other people who received the money, so she talked about morality: "Girls like you should save all the money you earn at home."

Su Rui said with a smile: "It's because my mother can help me find a husband. If you help me pay for the betrothal gift, I won't save money."

Su Yuqin didn't dare to open her mouth. She still had to leave money for Su Chang'e. The eldest daughter had to get married, and if the second daughter couldn't get married, she had to marry someone back.

Su Rui waved at her again and pointed towards the office door, as if she would go to Sister Zhao to seek justice if she still didn't give it to her.

Su Yuqin fished for a long time and took out five yuan and handed it to her: "The food allowance at home has to be deducted."

Su Rui said, "We can't cut back on food at home. I also make some money."

Su Yuqin pinched the money and said, "How much do you want?"

Su Rui said, "Twenty-three dollars, not a cent less."

Su Yuqin cried out, "Each family was deducted two yuan."

Su Rui searched and said, "Then I'll leave you 40 cents, and you give me 22.60 yuan." Her father was a live-in son-in-law, so he could give the money to Su Yuqin. But she was not.

The income before she reached adulthood was considered rent to Su Yuqin, but after she became an adult, she had to manage her own income.

Su Yuqin wants to have face in the village, which is why Su Rui asked her for money in front of others.

Su Yuqin had no way of giving her the full amount, and angrily said, "Take your money. I won't care about you even if you get sick or die in the future. I don't need you to care about me."

Su Rui put away the money, patted her pocket and said, "I know, you have Su Chang'e, what are you afraid of?"

Su Yuqin snorted, thinking that the second son would surely be successful and let her live a good life.

They didn't talk all the way. When they got home, Su Hongpei called Su Rui and said quickly, "Your letter came. Lao Er wanted to open it, but I didn't let him."

Under the bare jujube tree, Su Chang'e was admiring the paper-bound roses; their blood-red color was dazzling to the eyes.

Su Hongpei whispered, "It was sent to her by 'that' in a letter. It looks like there will be good news soon. What about you? Check yours."

There was something hard in Suri's envelope. She didn't know what it was and was very curious about it.

Su Yuqin went into the house sulking. Su Chang'e came over holding a rose and also wanted to know what Su Rui had received.

She tilted her head and said to Su Hongpei, "Put it in my braid."

Su Rui still felt uncomfortable when she looked closely at the bright red rose, so she simply lowered her head and concentrated on opening the envelope.

Ding Dong.

A piece of metal fell out of the envelope. There was no letter inside. Su Rui bent down to pick it up.

She picked up the bullet shell, looked at it and said, "Why is it a bullet shell?" Could it be that the other party wanted to prove that he was a soldier? But it shouldn't be a pendant, a tank or something like that made of bullet shells?

Su Chang'e blurted out: "Why is it a bullet casing? What bad luck, could it be picked up from the execution ground?!" She was so proud of herself that she blurted it out.

"Execution ground?" Su Rui said quickly, "What execution ground?"

Su Chang'e immediately covered her mouth and stopped talking.

Su Rui stood up with her hands on her hips, holding the bullet shell in front of her and asking, "Bullet shell from the execution ground? How do you know where it came from?"

Su Chang'e thought, do I need to know the origin of this? Criminals are often shot there, and the bodies are taken away by prisoners of labor reform.

"I don't know. I don't know anything."

Su Rui suddenly became furious and wanted to eat Su Chang'e alive.

Su Hongpei was afraid that they would start fighting, so she pulled Su Rui to the west room and locked the door: "Calm down first, let's think of a solution."

Su Rui sat down angrily, with the bullet casing on the table, looking bloody no matter how she looked at it.

Labor reform prisoners...

She just knew it.

She just knew it!!!

No wonder there are no photos.

No wonder I often ask her about the customs and practices outside!

How many years of labor reform prisoner was he sentenced to?

Su Chang'e's voice came from outside the door. She said gloatingly, "Everyone knows your photo and address. I advise you to get along well with them, lest they come looking for you after they are released from prison. It will be hard for you to deal with them."

Su Hongpei stood in front of the window and gave a rare lecture: "Second brother, how could you introduce such a person to me?" Unfortunately, she was still frightened, thinking that she had mixed up the letters from the two deputy company commanders.

The second brother is so mean-spirited that it seems better that he made a mistake.

"I'm just guessing, it has nothing to do with me. Besides, doesn't she want a live-in son-in-law? Such a live-in son-in-law might not even ask for a dowry. Wouldn't she be happy if I save her money?"

Su Chang'e didn't care what her elder sister said, and happily went to ask her mother for money to buy fabric. She had a good chat with the military officer on the other end of the letter, and she had to discuss some things with her mother.

Su Rui's head was buzzing. She was just happy to have a savings, but now she felt that the savings were useless. It would be better to go up the mountain and pick up a stone and carve her name on it.